The term “transaction card,” as used herein, refers to any physical card product that is configured to provide information, such as financial information (e.g., card numbers, account numbers, etc.), quasi-financial information (e.g., rewards balance, discount information, etc.), and/or individual-identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), when the card is read by a card reader. Examples of transaction cards include credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, rewards cards, frequent flyer cards, merchant-specific cards, discount cards, etc., but are not limited thereto. The term “transaction card” may include an identification card such as a passport card, a driver's license, an entry point access card, or the like.
Transaction cards, such as credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, gift cards, etc., are typical means for customers to complete financial transactions. Typically, transaction cards are cast out of a plastic polymer material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a combination of these materials. Typical credit cards may be manufactured from PVC extruded sheets that are die-cut and may include other additional overlay or print layers. The typical plastic card and its print (or overlay) layers may be modified to add functional and/or visual features. For example, a magnetic strip may be affixed to one side, electronic components may be implanted, the card may be stamped with the card number and customer name, and color or a design may be added for appearance.
Some card issuers have also begun to manufacture niche transaction cards for brand differentiation and/or to imbue their customers with cachet or provide a unique experience. These niche cards have been constructed with a look and feel of metal by implementing one or more metallic core layers such as a stainless steel or aluminum layer. The metallic core layer typically is provided with a thickness to serve as a support layer, providing rigidity or structural integrity to the transaction card. The introduction of metal as a support layer into a transaction card, however, introduces a number of practical problems. For example, the use of a core metal layer as a support layer in a transaction card may prevent the card from meeting known card standards defining flexibility and deformation or other requirements. These cards may thus be unsuitable for use with certain types of automated card readers, for example. Also, because of the prohibitive cost associated with making cards composed primarily of metal, these cards have remained niche cards available only to a limited number of users.
It is desirable to implement metals and other non-traditional card materials as a distinguishing feature of a transaction card without relying on these non-traditional materials for structural support of the transaction card. Existing manufacturing techniques, however, are not capable of incorporating these materials in a non-support layer while still meeting certain transaction card standards. For example, many desirable non-traditional materials, when constructed in a form factor of a transaction card as a non-support layer using traditional transaction card manufacturing techniques, are too brittle to meet the rigidity or durability requirements of current transaction card standards.
The present disclosure is directed to a card construction implementing non-traditional card materials that overcome one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems associated with conventional transaction card constructions.